Last week I had my first bike accident, which I think is not bad at all, considering that I managed to go on for a whole month without one single scratch or bump. And even better, this one wasn't serious at all, just a woman speeding around the corner and smashing her bike straight into the front wheel of mine. The result of this was this was a wheel that wobbled quite a bit, and made biking a lot harder (better exercise, though). So today after the morning class (where we practiced going to a restaurant, ordering food, asking for the bill etc.) I went to a little bike repair shop near the university gates and had the guy fix it. I thought that the whole wheel was bent and my solution would have been to try to hammer it back into shape, but this guy knew better and spent a good 20 minutes replacing broken spokes and tightening others, after which it rides a lot smoother, so I guess it was a balance thing. The twenty minutes spent there waiting and sitting on a plastic stool, wathing the people come and go, some using the tools to repair their own bikes, others just watching the action, the passersby going about their business... invaluable :)

On my way back, I stopped at a little restaurant stall to get some lunch. This one had a big metal stove with fire inside, and four rings of little holes on top, where the guy placed bowls of boiling water. Into a bowl he then put Chinese cabbage and some other leafy green vegetable whose name i don't know, pieces of tofu and little fried vegetable balls. After they had cooked for a while, he added some spices and packed it into a little plastic bag for me. I also got a few pieces of fresh flat bread from a woman there, just out of the oven. Nice lunch, especially with some of the chocolate I got in Beijing for dessert.

But what's best, I had a language related triumph today. In my flat I have this hot/cold water dispenser, which holds a 19 litre container of water. This is really handy, as I can get hot water for tea or coffee any time. But, I had ran out of water and it was time to order a new one from a restaurant on campus. The other day, I had Mrs Feng write down for me how to explain on the phone and how to tell them my address, so they can come and bring it over. So, I dialed the number and with my...umm...interesting Chinese pronunciation explained what I wanted and behold, half an hour later I had a man at my door, with a new water container. Hurray! Always a great feeling when you actually make yourself understood in a new language.

But now, it's time for a nap, I haven't had enough sleep for the past few nights...